Chapter 258: Ambush and Kill
Chapter 258: Ambush and Kill
Lu Hui, who was already severely injured, struggled futilely as he was no match for the two first-grade demon beasts, no matter what he did.
The two demon beasts would not let go of their prey and began to tear into Lu Hui.
The scene was gory, and Mo Hua felt a bit uncomfortable witnessing it, though he believed Lu Hui deserved it.
A moment later, Mo Hua's spiritual sense stirred, and he said to Zhang Lan, "The Dao Ting Court's cultivators are approaching."
He could already sense their presence with his spiritual awareness.
Zhang Lan nodded.
Lu Hui could die, but his body must not be eaten. At the very least, his corpse needed to be preserved as evidence. Otherwise, who could tell if his death had anything to do with them?
Zhang Lan shouted loudly, "Bold and sinful beasts! How dare you kill Lu Dian Court!"
After speaking, Zhang Lan condensed a water-attributed sword qi and attacked the two demon beasts.
The sword qi struck the demon beasts, causing them pain. They roared and glared at Zhang Lan with malicious eyes.
Mo Shan also seized the opportunity to attack the demon beasts, while Mo Hua supported him by using the Water Prison Technique to restrain the beasts.
The Water Prison Technique had a weaker effect on late first-grade demon beasts, binding them for less than a breath's time. However, that fleeting moment was enough to hinder the beasts' attacks and buy Mo Shan some time.
After a series of twists and turns, Mo Shan finally managed to snatch Lu Hui from the demon beasts' mouths.
Enraged at losing their prey, the two demon beasts roared furiously. One pounced towards Mo Shan, while the other charged towards Zhang Lan.
Mo Shan, relying on his profound cultivation and exquisite techniques, engaged in battle with one of the beasts, mainly dodging and evading its attacks.
Mo Hua set off some fireworks and, using the Flowing Water Steps, kept the other demon beast at bay, buying some time.
Facing the two first-grade demon beasts head-on was not an option; they could only try to stall for time until the Dao Ting Court's cultivators arrived after seeing the fireworks.
Zhang Lan supported the other two by attacking the demon beasts with his Water Sword Technique from a distance, all while feeling astonished inwardly.
Mo Shan, an experienced demon hunter with extraordinary strength, naturally had no problem holding off a late first-grade demon beast for a while.
But Mo Hua, that kid, was only at the seventh layer of Qi Refinement, yet he was able to fight a late first-grade demon beast head-on with his agile movements, giving as good as he got.
Every time the demon beast pounced, whether it clawed, grabbed, or bit, Mo Hua skillfully dodged, showcasing the Flowing Water Steps to its fullest potential.
In the midst of evading, he even found the opportunity to cast a few spells.
Sometimes he would harass the demon beast with Fireball Technique, and other times he would entrap it with the Water Prison Technique.
His spells were cast with incredible speed; he only needed to raise his hand, and the spell would be unleashed. So, even when he was close to the demon beast, he always had the chance to condense his spells.
Although his spells only caused minor damage to the demon beast, akin to scratching an itch, he consistently landed his attacks.
The demon beast fighting Mo Hua was frustrated and furious, but it couldn't lay a claw on him no matter what it tried. Even if it wanted to scratch Mo Hua, it couldn't.
Zhang Lan felt conflicted.
The Flowing Water Steps was clearly a signature technique of the Zhang family, yet Mo Hua, a young monk from outside the family, had mastered it to perfection.
It made him wonder if this movement technique should be attributed to the Mo family instead of the Zhangs.
"It would be best if you're not seen by my Zhang family's ancestors, or they will definitely want you as a son-in-law," Zhang Lan thought as he watched Mo Hua.
The group managed to hold on for a while until the cultivators from the Dao Ting Court arrived to provide support. There were about fifteen or sixteen of them, from Tongxian City and Qingxuan City.
With their overwhelming numbers, the two demon beasts reluctantly roared a few times before retreating back into the mountains.
One of the cultivators from the Qingxuan City Dao Ting Court saw Lu Hui and exclaimed in shock, "Elder Lu! What happened to you...?"
Lu Hui had lost an arm to the demon beasts, his body was covered in blood, and his breath was growing weaker by the second. He had a mouthful of blood that he couldn't swallow.
He pointed at Mo Hua, but he couldn't get any words out.
Zhang Lan grabbed Lu Hui's shoulder and shook him vigorously, his expression filled with sorrow. "Elder Lu, what's wrong? Speak to me, Elder Lu!"
Lu Hui's last breath was shaken out of him, and his head tilted as he passed away.
Zhang Lan, the old hand of the Dao Ting Si, put on a performance that seemed all too real.
Those unaware would assume he and Lu Hui shared a deep bond.
The acting, a mix of genuine emotion, exaggeration, and seamless delivery, was something Mo Hua knew he couldn't replicate.
When Zhang Lan confirmed Lu Hui had indeed breathed his last, he sighed and said, "Lu Dian Si first fought valiantly against the bald monk, subduing him. Then, to prevent the bald monk from falling into the beast's mouth, he fought the demon beast to the death. He died a heroic death in the line of duty. His actions are worthy of praise and admiration."
The few executives from Qingxuan City exchanged glances, their faces filled with confusion.
Was Zhang Lan talking about the Lu Dian Si they knew? He didn't seem like the same person...
The phrase "worthy of praise and admiration" couldn't be further from describing Lu Dian Si.
He would never risk his life for the sake of the Dao Ting Si's duties.
Zhang Lan shot them a cold glance, "Lu Dian Si is dead, and you show no emotion. Are you dissatisfied with him?"
The executives from Qingxuan City felt a tightening in their chests at his words and quickly lowered their heads, replacing their neutral expressions with sorrowful ones. They cupped their hands and said in unison, "We are saddened by Lu Dian Si's death and are still in disbelief. We ask that you help us with the aftermath, Zhang Dian Si."
Zhang Lan nodded, "This time, with the capture of the bald monk, you have all made contributions, and Lu Dian Si's efforts were exceptional. Let's bring his body back to Qingxuan City for a proper burial."
With Lu Hui's death, Zhang Lan was now the only executive present, so naturally, his word was law.
Moreover, with the bald monk's capture, the other executives had made contributions, so their trip hadn't been in vain.
As for Lu Dian Si, he was dead and gone.
What could they do about it? They certainly couldn't go against Zhang Lan, a fellow executive.
The Qingxuan City executives cupped their hands and agreed, "We will follow your instructions, Zhang Dian Si."
Zhang Lan nodded in satisfaction and instructed, "Bring Lu Dian Si's body back to the Dao Ting Si in Tongxian City first, so the Chief Executive can see it, and then send it back to Qingxuan City."
"Yes."
The Qingxuan City executives carried Lu Hui's body down the mountain, while Mo Hua and Zhang Lan returned to the valley where the criminal cultivators had been hiding.
Ji Qingbai and several Dao Ting Si cultivators were cleaning up the battlefield. When they saw Mo Hua, they looked around and asked, "Where's Lu Hui?"
Mo Hua sighed, "Lu Dian Si died in the line of duty."
Ji Qingbai's face mirrored his disbelief.
How could he have died so soon?
He was Lu Hui, after all!
The executive of the Qingxuan City Dao Ting Si, who usually acted as a tiger's minion, doing all sorts of despicable things.
The countless loose cultivators in Qingxuan City were helpless against him, but how did he end up dying in the line of duty here in Tongxian City?
Ji Qingbai pondered for a moment, slowly realizing what had happened, and cautiously asked, "There won't be any problems, will there?"
Mo Shan glanced at Mo Hua and said helplessly, "We didn't do anything."
Mo Hua smiled, "It was the bald monk and the demon beast that killed Lu Hui. It has nothing to do with us."
Zhang Lan nodded in agreement, "There's no evidence at all, so the Dao Ting Si won't pursue the matter."
Ji Qingbai stood there, perplexed, trying to understand how Lu Hui could be killed without leaving any evidence.
But he didn't need to know. All that mattered was that the despicable Lu Dian Si was dead.
The weight on his heart, and that of the loose cultivators in Qingxuan City, had finally been lifted.
Ji Qingbai cupped his hands and said solemnly, "On behalf of the loose cultivators of Qingxuan City, I thank you all!"
Zhang Lan waved his hand, "I didn't do much. If you want to thank someone, thank Mo Hua."
Ji Qingbai looked at Mo Hua, surprised.
Mo Hua chuckled, "It was no trouble at all."
He had merely lifted his hand and cast a few Water Prison Techniques; it truly was a simple task.
(End of Chapter)
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